What I say unto you I say unto all, watch. Mark 13:37

August 13, 2011

Palestinians set date for UN statehood bid

The Palestinians will present their bid for membership of the
United Nations on September 20, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad Al-Malki told
AFP on Saturday.

“Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas will personally present
the request to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon... at the opening of the
sixty-sixth session,” on September 20, Malki said.

Abbas “will insist on this historic initiative and Ban Ki-moon
will present the request to the Security Council,” the foreign minister added.

Malki noted that the Palestinian Authority chose September
because Lebanon, which will hold the presidency of the Security Council, would
be in a strong position to push the bid forward.

“Lebanon will hold the presidency of the Security Council in
September and this will help us because the president of the council has special
prerogatives, which is crucial,” he said.

Last month, a routine Security Council
debate on the Middle East and Palestine became Israel’s and the Palestinian
Authority’s
dress rehearsal for September’s General Assembly conference where the
Palestinians will seek UN recognition.

Palestinian observer Riyad Mansour
called on the UN to recognize a Palestinian state. It’s time to end the
occupation, he said before bursting into tears. Israel’s Ambassador to the UN
Ron Prosor warned that the Palestinian way of bypassing peace talks will lead to
frustration and violence. †